Christmas Cookies
by Seinaru Kibou no Tenshi
Summary: As she promised him, Sora bakes Taichi a batch of special cookies for Christmas.


Merry Christmas to everyone! Tis the season to be sappy. ^_^  
  
***  
  
CHRISTMAS COOKIES  
  
"Agumon, did something happen to Taichi yesterday?" Hikari asked, coming to sit next to the Digimon on the couch. She was holding a large, white box in her hands, tied with a red, organza ribbon. Through the cardboard, Agumon could smell the scent of sweet, vanilla cookies and felt the drool begin to collect in his mouth, "I ran into Sora in the street and she asked me to give these to him. She said they were his Christmas present. I told her to come with me and give them to him herself, but she said that Taichi might find it awkward. Do you know why?"  
  
Swallowing before he replied, "I don't think he'd want me to tell you, Hikari."  
  
"I'm his sister," she replied, "I don't like to see him so unhappy. I want to help him, but I can't if I don't know what is wrong."  
  
"Before the concert started, he ran into Sora outside the theatre," the little Digimon explained quickly, "She was taking cookies to Yamato, and Taichi thought that . . . that she wanted to be his mate."  
  
"I think you mean girlfriend, Agumon," Hikari corrected with a giggle, then suddenly sobered, "Poor Taichi. No wonder he's been acting so strangely. He's loved Sora since . . . forever. It must be hard on him to know that she doesn't return his feelings."  
  
"But why doesn't she?" Agumon asked indignantly, "What is wrong with Taichi? He's kind and generous and brave and strong and good and nice."  
  
"Love is mysterious," she shrugged, "You can't choose whom you love. You just do or you don't."  
  
"But why do you want to be Takeru's mate? There has to be a reason."  
  
Hikari's cheeks went a brilliant red, and Agumon smiled to remember that he had thought blushing meant that the human was preparing an attack, not that they were embarrassed.  
  
Rubbing the back of her neck, "Who t-told you I wanted t-to be his mate - I mean, uh, girlfriend?"  
  
"Patamon," he answered, "I asked him why Takeru and Daisuke fought the whole time, and he said it was because they both liked you. He said he was happy you liked Takeru back."  
  
"Well, I . . . I th-think I better check on Ta-Taichi," she stammered, "And t-take him his bi-cookies."  
  
"I'll come with you."  
  
"Okay, but let me do the talking."  
  
Worried, Agumon followed Hikari through to the bedroom that she shared with her brother. Taichi was sitting on a chair, bouncing a soccer ball against the wall and catching it. He looked tired and hopeless. His shoulders were slumped, his hair was mussed, and there were dark smudges beneath his brown eyes. Agumon hadn't seen him that way since he missed the goal that would have won his team the semi-finals of a tournament. If he was right, all of this had to do with Sora. It was odd how human girls made human boys go crazy.  
  
"Hey, onii-chan. I ran into Sora in the street. She gave me cookies for you," Hikari said, "She said they were the special batch she promised you."  
  
"put 'm on the desk," Taichi mumbled, throwing his soccer ball against the wall. It bounced off it with a dull thud and rolled back to rest his feet. He made no effort to pick it up again.  
  
"Is this about Sora?" she asked gently, coming to perch on the arm of the chair and putting an arm around his shoulder, "Agumon told me what happened the other night at the Christmas concert. He said you caught Sora taking cookies to Yamato, and thought that she wanted to be his girlfriend. Of course, he said 'mate' instead of 'girlfriend', but I got the picture. I know this is the last thing you want to hear right now, but, if they are together, you're going to have to accept it and move on from it . . . ."  
  
"Easy for you to say," Taichi snapped, his hands clenching in his lap, his brown eyes blazing, "You don't have the slightest clue what I'm going through right now, Hikari. If you did, you wouldn't play with Daisuke's heart like you do. Or with Takeru's. It's all a game to you girls."  
  
"How dare you say that, onii-chan? Daisuke-kun's my friend. It's not my fault he wants to be more, and I don't. And Takeru's . . . well, Takeru's . . . ." she cut herself off with a furious sound, getting to her feet and walking to the desk where she had placed the box, "I'm not going into this with you now, onii-san. Sora said you should open her present as soon as possible, and I'm not going to take 'no' for an answer, either. You've been moping since the concert last night, and it's time you got over it. If Sora's with Yamato, you're going to have to deal with it sooner or later. And sitting in your room and feeling sorry for yourself isn't going to help you do so."  
  
"I don't want them," Taichi shouted, "She didn't want to make them for me. It was only because she felt sorry for me, and I want her pity about as much as I want her damn cookies!"  
  
Swinging back his leg, he kicked the box as hard as he could, and Taichi had been made striker of his team for good reason. When his foot connected, the box arched through the air and slammed against the wall. It burst open, spilling its contents all over the floor - pink cookies, cut neatly into the shape of hearts. Their floor was covered in broken hearts.  
  
Hikari bent to pick up one of the few intact ones left and then smiled at her older brother, "There's something written on it."  
  
"What?" he asked, blinking back tears from his eyes.  
  
Coming closer to him, she held it up for Taichi to see. Piped on it in thin, white icing were the words "I love you." By the sudden, huge grin on his partner's face, Agumon guessed it didn't matter to him that almost all the cookies were smashed. He picked one up and bit into it, growling with pleasure at how it tasted. He was very glad that Sora had decided to be to be Taichi's mate, and not only because his partner was happy again. After all, she was a good cook, and Agumon had a feeling plenty more cookies would be coming their way now.  
  
***  
  
THE END.  
  
*** 


End file.
